Every story has four parts - the beginning, the middle, the almost ending, and the true ending
Calling all honored guests and dynamic players to perhaps the most legendary game of Caraval ever played. While Caraval centered around the older sister Scarlett, Legendary focuses on the boisterous younger Donatella. Picking up just after the previous book ends, the sisters are swept away into the unprecedented second Caraval just days after Scarlett claims her victory. The stakes are raised for Tella as she finds herself making dangerous deals and questions reality when it is claimed that this time, Caraval is to be more than just a game.
Legendary is a beautiful follow-up to the first book, keeping the same dazzling language and mystical adventure. From air that "tasted like wonder" to "night and his mistress the moon" coming out to play, this addition made me wish for an illustrated version to pull me even further into the gorgeous words. I felt that Legendary did a better job of balancing out the heavy phrasing, making the reading flow easier.
Through Tella, readers are able to explore more of the sister's background, as well as the building of their world. Tella brings a different perspective than Scarlett, by declarations that "she loved the feeling of doing something bold enough to make her future hold its breath while she closed her eyes and reveled in the sensation that she'd made a choice with the power to alter the course of her life". She moves and acts without the hesitation that Scarlett felt, though endearingly with the same love she and her sister share for each other. Tella surprised me in how much I enjoyed her character - from Scarlett's perspective I was worried that she might be a bit lost to flightiness and immaturity. But Tella surprised me, and I suspect many of the other characters as well.
I had the same main feeling through this book that I did with Caraval that these games seem to be built around each of the sisters. Is it really a fair game to the other players, who come to play and have never met the Dragnas? Although I guess it goes with the territory that Legend never claimed the game was fair.
Finally, I had the pleasure of obtaining a copy that included Stephanie Garber's annotated ending. If you have the chance - get your hands on it! She is clever and funny, and I LOVED being able to see into her mind a bit more to hear how the story could have been changed. Many of the options would make for a great story, but overall I am happy with the ending she went with and again am impatiently waiting for when I can read the conclusion!
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